Sometimes, among friends, restaurants achieve a mythic status based upon the experience rather than the food. Of course, excellent food can help bolster one’s impression of a restaurant as well. Located on a nondescript street, behind the doors of an inauspicious building, Tapeo Gràcia is a warm and invitingly small dining area. Without a reservation, or eating by myself, I am frequently relegated to the bar, which is great as well. I can watch both the bartenders and cooks prepare meals for cheerful and expectant guests.
I have fond memories of finding the restaurant after Sally,
Niel, and I wandered the narrow streets of the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona
for seemingly an hour. There are so many choices about where to eat, and it is
difficult to decipher which ones are merely interesting from those that might have
good food as well. The first time we stumbled into Tapeo, we thought we hit the
jackpot. The following year, we attempted to retrace our steps, all of us
forgetting the restaurant’s name. Just as we were about to give up, and Sally
said, “the next decent restaurant,” as if by magic, we turned the corner and
there was Tapeo.
I have had many good meals in Barcelona, but Tapeo remains
my favorite. Without a doubt, it has interesting food and good drinks. But the
ambiance and vitality of the restaurant makes it a fun place to visit.
May 2024 dinner:
Espárragos tempura con romesco ligero (Tempura Asparagus with Romesco sauce)
Pan de coca con tomate (Coca bread with Tomato)
Huevos estrellados con jamón ibérico de bellota (Broken Eggs
with Iberian Ham, Bellota refers to free-range, acorn-fed ham, aged for over
two years)
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